Archive for Research

A controversy is brewing in New Zealand over a groundbreaking fertility treatment that is being considered there. The treatment involves implanting donated sperm and donated eggs into the hopeful, prospective mother.

On the opposing side is the Catholic Church, among others, who disagree with the procedure on ethical and moral grounds.

The Government’s Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ACART) has recommended approving the procedure arguing that it would benefit infertile couples and single infertile parents.

A large study by Danish researchers has shown indicates that fertility drugs don’t increase risk of ovarian cancer.

The study, published on the British Medical Journal website, involved 54,362 women with infertility problems. The researchers state that, our results show no convincing association between the overall risk for ovarian cancer and use of fertility drugs, and are generally reassuring. They do also note that many of the women in the study had not yet reached the age of peak risk for ovarian cancer.

A recent study involving interviews with pregnant women found that those women who reported occupational exposure to pesticides experienced greater difficulty (measured in menstrual cycles until conception) becoming pregnant. The study did not find a link between mail exposure to pesticides and difficulty conceiving.

A recent study in The Nurses’ Health Study adds support to the belief in the positive effects of a proper diet on fertility. In an approximately 18000 woman study at Harvard a ‘fertility diet’ had a six fold increase in pregnancy odds.

Fats seem to have a significant effect on fertility with trans fats having a negative effect while good fats from whole dairy products appear to have positive effects. That’s good news for women who like ice cream. Carbs known as ‘slow carbs’ – those that release glucose at a slower rate – tend to have a positive effect on fertility. On the other hand, ‘fast carbs such as white bread and white rice seemingly have a negative effect.

When it comes to proeins, the good ones come from nuts, beans, and tofu while red meat is one of the baddies.

According to NewScientist, researchers at the University of Lyon have discovered a gene that is more common in men who have low sperm counts or sperm with poor mobility. The gene may trigger an increase in the production of a protien (TNF) that affects sperm production. Drugs that block this protein may be a potential treatment for appropriate types of infertility.

Early results in a study at University of Virginia Health System show that acupuncture may help with women struggling with infertility due to polycistic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The study is currently looking for more women to participate.

A recent study published August 1, 2008 in the British Medical Journal calls into questions two very common forms of treatment for infertility. One of the treatments is the use of ovulation stimulating drugs while the other treatment is artificial insemmination. In the study, both of these treatments were found to have no significant positive effect on ability to conceive for couples with unexplained infertility.

A recent report on DailyMail.com entitled "How four cups of coffee a day reduces a woman’s chance of having a baby by 25%" discusses a study in which Dutch researchers found that there was a significant link between caffeine intake and infertility. It goes so far as to state that coffee may be as damaging as alcohol.

Earlier this year a study found a link between caffeine intake and miscarriage.